Method of constructing furnace arches



uly 10, 1956 H. G. o. WEBER 2,753,711

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING FURNACE ARCHES Filed Jan. 7, 1949 v3 Sheets-Shut1 Fl 6 .L h

FIGS I I -ve- Fol? July 10, 1956 H. s. o. WEBER METHOD OF CONSTRUCTINGFURNACE ARCHES 3 Sheets-Shem 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1949 FICA IOb INV ron 13mA-TT VPK/Ey July 10, 1956 H. G. o. WEBER METHOD OF CO'NS'IRUCTINGFURNACE ARCHES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 7, 1949 lllll- IIL FIGJOli'wduy AQMzhfQmZdAJ INVENTQ Q AT FORD/E METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING FURNACEARCHES Hendrik G. 0. Weber, Driehnis, Netherlands Application January 7,1949, Serial No. 69,649

Claims priority, application Netherlands January 20, 1948 2 Claims. (Cl.72-55) The arches of industrial furnaces are usually composed of taperedrefractory bricks, that are assembled in rows or rings on a wooden form,with the continuous joints perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thefurnace.

If such an arch must be totally or partially renewed, it is necessary tostop the production process and the furnace must be cooled down, beforethe form can be erected and nited States Patent the arch can beconstructed, after which the form must be removed.

Also for smaller repairs it is usually necessary to wait until thefurnace is sufficiently cooled down.

However, it has already been proposed to perform smaller repairs duringthe production process by inserting a steel plate through the opening ofthe arch to be repaired, which plate is suspended from the framework ofthe furnace by means of iron wires.

The bricks are placed on this plate for initial support until the brickshave been properly placed in the arch.

Eventually the plate melts away or is dropped into the furnace.

It now often occurs that during the placing of the bricks the plate willwarp or that the wires will melt away.. In

the first case the bricks cannot be properly placed, in the it secondcase the bricks willdrop into the furnace and in both cases theoperation must be repeated.

Owing to the adverse conditions under which the work must be done it isalways a diflicult job, taking up. much time.

The principal object of the invention is to remove the above-mentioneddisadvantages and to provide improved methods and means for easilyconstructing or repairing said furnace arches in a short time.

Another object of my invention is to make the use of wooden formssuperfluous and to provide for means enabling the repair of an archwithout it being necessary to interrupt the production process.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel and useful features and com binations as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in order that it may be fullyunderstoodreference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial front view of a supporting beam, which is used in mynew method. 7

Fig. 2 represents a top view of said beam.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of said beam, on an enlarged scale, with apart of the arch.

Fig. 4 isa perspective view of'an improved carrierbrick.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an improved filler-brick,

. used in combination with said carrier-brick.

Figs; 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections of thearch, showing differentcombinations of rings of carrier-bricks and ing how the beam isadjustably supported, portions being shown in section.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 1212 inFig. 2.

Referring to the Figures 1, 2 and 3, the supporting beam 1 used for thesupport of the carrier bricks 2, which bricks will be describedhereinafter, mainly consist of two parallel, curved plates 3, 4, whichare interconnected by a plurality of spacing devices 5 for varying thedistance between them. Each of the said plates is provided with aninturned lower flange 6 for supporting the carrier bricks 2 (Fig. 3) andan outturned upper flange 7.

In the middle of the beam 1 the flanges 6 have been cut away along acertain distance (B in Figs. 1 and 2), for enabling the insertion of thelast brick closing a ring, as will be described hereinafter, the flanges6 and the flanges 7 along the top of the beam also provide for therequired rigidity of the beam.

The beam is usually placed on that part of the frame of the furnace, inwhich the usual skew blocks 8 are supported, to wit on the longitudinalgirders 9.

At each end, the supporting beam 1, comprising the two plates 3 and 4,is provided with an adjusting shoe 10 which is fixed to the plate 4 andslidably supports the plate 3 to permit the plates to be moved towardand away from one another when the spacing devices 5 are actuated. Eachof the shoes 10 is shown as a transverse angular member which is weldedto the plate 4 and comprises a vertical flange 10a and a horizontalflange 10b on which the end portion of the plate 3 rests. A stop pin 12fixed to the plate 3 extends through a slot 12a in the shoe 10, therebylimiting the relative lateral movement of the plates 3 and 4.

The adjusting shoes 10 are provided with adjusting bolts 11 foradjusting the supporting beam 1 in a vertical direction and for loweringthe beam to disengage it from the bricks after an arch of carrier bricks2 has been closed. The bolts 11 extend down through threaded holes inthe horizontal flange 10a of each shoe and engage a carrier plate 13slidably resting on the upper flange 9a of the respective girder 9. Eachcarrier plate 13 has a downwardly extending longitudinal lip 13aengaging the edge of the flange 9a to guide the carrier plate on thegirder and is provided on its upper face with two transverse adjustingstrips 13b and 13c and a transverse abutment strip 13a. The strips 13band 13c are engageable by the lower endportions of the adjusting screws11 to limit lateral movement of the beam 1 on the carrier plates 13. The

. strips 13b and l3d are engageable by the lower end portion of thestoppin 12 to limit relative lateral move ment of the plate 3. It will beseen that the beam 1 is adjustable vertically by means of the bolts 11and is adjustable laterally by movement of the shoes 10 relative to thecarrier plates 13, or by sliding the carrier plates longitudinally onthe girders 9 on which they rest. Relative lateral movement of theplates 3 and 4 of beam 1 by means of adjusting devices 5 is permitted bythe sliding support of plates 3 on shoes 10 fixed to the end portions ofplates 4.

Fig. 3 shows the details of the spacing device 5 for enlarging thedistance between the plates 3 and 4 and for interconnecting said.plates.

Each device comprises a screw spindle 14 with left handed and righthanded thread.

Internally threaded bushings 15 are welded to connecting plates 16 .andthese plates 16 are attached to the curved plates 3 and 14 by bolt orscrews. Dividing or separating lrings; 17 are-placed on .the screwspindle 14 and arebolted ment and stop pins 18a are used in regulatingthe spacing of the plates 3 and 4. The bushings also protect the screwspindle 14.

By means of a rod 19 the screw spindle can be rotated.

The supporting beam as described is used in combination with carrierbricks and filler bricks, preferred embodiments of such bricks beingdesignated in the Figures 4 and Fig. 4 shows the carrier brick 2 in aperspective view. This carrier brick is higher than the filler brick 20(Fig. 5), an assembled ring of said carrier bricks forming a strong ringfor supporting rings of filler-bricks.

The carrier brick is tapered in the transverse direction, the topsurface being thicker than the under surface. In the small sides of thecarrier brick recesses 21 have been made, forming supporting flanges 22at the top of the brick and shoulders 23 sloping upwardly below saidflanges.

The filler brick 20 according to Figure 5 is provided with a shoulder 24substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the brick at oneof its small sides, the other small side being provided with acorresponding recess 25. The longitudinal dimension of the recess (C) islarger than the longitudinal dimension of the shoulder (D).

Having now described the principal elements needed for the applicationof my improved method, this method will be further elucidated with theaid of the Figures 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7.

Firstly the carrier plates 13 are fixed on the girders 9 and thesupporting beam 1 is adjusted at the required height by means of thescrew bolts 11, after which the carrier bricks 2 are placed. Thesecarrier bricks are inserted through the open top of the supporting beam1 and are turned between the flanges 6, until they are supportedthereon. The closing brick of the ring formed by the carrier bricks isnot turned and is inserted through the opening between the flanges 6 (Bin Figs. 1 and 2).

However, if desired, all carrier bricks may be inserted through thisopening B and be pushed sideways into their proper places.

Fig. 3 also shows that there is some play between the carrier bricks 2and the supporting beam 1, enabling a correction of the direction of thejoints.

After having constructed a complete ring of carrier bricks 2, which ringis now self-supporting, one or several rings of filler bricks 20 arehooked onto this ring at one or at both sides of the ring.

The supporting beam 1 is now lowered by means of the adjusting bolts 11and the plates 3, 4 are separated from each other by means of thespacing devices 5, the pins 12 stopping the beam in the requiredposition, so that it can be now removed from the ring and be adjustedover the next section of the arch to be constructed or repaired.

It is obvious that a plurality of supporting beams may be simultaneouslyused for simultaneously constructing difierent sections of the arch.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of an arch constructed in accordance tomy method, the arch being formed by assembling a certain number ofindependent groups, each group 40 consisting of a ring of carrier bricks2 with at both sides a certain number of rings of filler bricks.

As a result of the dimensioning of the shoulders and the recesses of thebricks (Fig. 5), grooves 41 are formed between the rings, which arefilled up with mortar, so that the arch will be absolutely gas-tight.The arch is completed by inserting the filler blocks 42.

Fig. 7 shows a modification of the arch according to Fig. 6 with groups40, each consisting of a ring of carrier bricks 2 with three rings offiller bricks 20 at one side of the carrier-ring.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of an arch constructed according to mymethod, with an inclined part, showing the application of slightlymodified carrier bricks 2a and filler bricks 20a.

In the Figures 9 and 10 two methods are shown for the reparation of asection of an existing arch with the aid of the supporting beam and ofthe carrierand fillerbricks. The repaired part of the arch is indicatedby the dashed lines.

It will be appreciated that the existing arch is not loaded at allduring the repair.

I claim:

1. A method of constructing or repairing a furnace arch formed fromarcuate rows of tapered bricks lying in planes perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the furnace, comprising the steps of placing overthe section of the arch to be constructed a beam formed from twolaterally spaced apart and laterally separable elements, adapted tosupport a plurality of carrier bricks in depending relationship, hangingcarrier bricks with laterally undercut or shouldered heads in said beamuntil a complete, self supporting arcuate row of said carrier bricks isobtained, hanging at at least one side of the finished arcuate row ofcarrier bricks a plurality of filler bricks constructed for interlockingengagement with the row of carrier bricks and with one another, removingthe supporting beam from the finished row of carrier bricks withoutdisturbing said bricks, positioning the said supporting beam over thenext section of the arch to be constructed, and repeating theaforementioned steps.

2. A method of constructing or repairing a self-supporting arch of afurnace, formed from interlocking arcuate rows of tapered bricks, eachring lying in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thefurnace, comprising the steps of placing over the section of the arch tobe constructed a beam formed from two laterally spaced apart andlaterally separable elements, adapted to support a plurality of carrierbricks in depending relationship, inserting carrier bricks havinglaterally undercut or; shouldered heads through the top side of saidbeam, with the largest dimension of said shoulders in the longitudinaldirection of the beam and subsequently turning said bricks at rightangles for engagement with said beam, completing an arcuate row ofcarrier bricks by inserting a last carrier brick without turning saidlast brick, subsequently hanging at at least one side of the nowselfsupporting arcuate row of carrier bricks a plurality of rows oflower filler bricks, constructed for interlocking engagement with saidself-supporting row of carrier bricks and with one another, removing thesupporting beam from the finished row of carrier bricks withoutdisrupting said bricks, placing the temporary supporting beam over thenext: section of the arch to be constructed, and repeating the aforesaidsteps.

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